Knightmare's first trail ride!

[RhndLev@cs.com]

Yesterday was My Knightmare's first trail ride.  This is the filly that I 
sold as a yearling and bought back earlier this year.  This is also the one 
that dumped me on my face and precipitated the questions about overcoming 
fears.  Well, I had a very confident rider (not me) take her on her first 
trail ride.  We went in a group to Hillsdale Lake.  I am so excited and happy 
about how well she did for her first ride outside of an arena or my yard!  
She had a couple of pretty standard Arabian spooks, but nothing too bad.  It 
was a little over ten miles, but we took it easy and gave her plenty of 
breaks to graze.

The only real mishap was when Knightmare lowered her head to shake.  The guy 
riding her thought she was lowering her head to eat and leaned way forward in 
the saddle.  When she shook, he popped up out of the saddle over her neck.  
She dropped down and sideways in reaction and he went over her head.  She 
didn't run off, however, and stood quietly for him to remount.  Every time 
that she lowered her head after that, she'd hesitate and turn and look at him 
first.  Cracked me up.  It was as if she was saying, "I'm eating now.  You 
stay THERE."  

At one creek crossing, the dead-broke horse in front was really balking.  It 
was rocky and there was a fair amount of water in the creek.  We put 
Knightmare right behind my horse with another really experienced horse right 
behind her.  She walked right into the water, but stopped to DRINK and to get 
a bite of grass as she came out!  I yearn for Special to do that.  Knightmare 
even went out front and lead the way for a while!  Across logs and through a 
creek.  At the end of the ride, she wasn't even sweaty under the saddle!

Sorry to be so long winded -- I'm so proud of my baby I could burst.